, or if it was only
thrown out to deceive.

I enclose also for your perusal, extracts from the addresses, not
having time to have them copied at large. They are mere echoes to the
speech. Supplies were voted, without one dissenting voice.

I must pray your Excellency to send on the enclosed packets; any
expense it occasions will be paid by the Governor.

I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

* * * * *

TO GENERAL GREENE.

Philadelphia, March 12th, 1783.

Dear Sir,

The arrival of the Washington packet affords me an opportunity of
sending you the preliminary articles, agreed upon between our
Ministers and those of Great Britain. In every point but one they are
unexceptionable; in that one I believe our Ministers have labored to
obtain all that circumstances would admit, and by the reference of the
tories to their respective States, they have made a very slender
provision for the restitution they stipulate.

What it imports you more to know is, that though our principal
difficulties are removed, yet many remain to retard the peace. Our
allies do not appear to have made much progress in their negotiations,
and Count de Vergennes, in a letter of the 25th of December, speaks
with great uncertainty of the issue of his negotiations; yet not so as
to destroy our hopes of a happy conclusion; at all events, I believe
that the war will be removed from us, and directed to other objects in
the spring.

The British commissioners have made some propositions to ours about a
convention for permitting the army to depart in peace; but as nothing
was concluded, some doubts may still remain on this head; though you
will find in Lord North's speech, in the enclosed paper, a passage
that seems to take the evacuation for granted. As, however, I have
reason to suppose, that they do not mean to rest contented with the
loss of West Florida, and are apparently collecting a force for its
reduction at Augustine, I should think it prudent to maintain so
respectable a force in Georgia and South Carolina, as would discourage
any attempts upon them in case the negotiations should prove abortive.

A treaty is now on foot between Sweden and us. The commission to his
Swedish Majesty's Minister, contains an ample and an honorable
recognition of our independence.

The committee charg